Two daguerreotypes by Antoine Claudet of Queen Victoria c.1854 have been revealed by the Museum of London. According to the Observer newspaper the pictures are among the most significant in the museum’s 150,000-strong collection, because not only are they two of the very earliest images of Victoria as Queen, then aged 34, but they also reflect her fascination with photography. The photos were never intended for public consumption – which is part of the reason they have never been seen – and will not be put on display at the museum. Publication in a national newspaper is seemingly of lesser concern.
Image: Museum of London
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